Last Saturday, a group of community members gathered alongside Senator David Pocock and Thomas Emerson MLA to talk about Voices of Belconnen and Gungahlin. The workshop generated plenty of ideas and practical actions for the months ahead.

We have spent almost all of our time listening since a core group of locals first got together around a kitchen table in January. We have spoken with hundreds of local residents, engaged with community organisations, surveyed the community and tested whether there is appetite for alternative, community-driven representation in our politics. The answer has been clear: people want stronger community representation, more genuine engagement and a political system that feels closer to the people it serves.

But there's still more to unpack, and this next phase of work is about how we take what we think we already know and turn it into something tangible.

Over the coming months, volunteers will commence doorknocking to gauge sentiment from people who won't necessarily approach us at a market stall, while continuing to learn from some of the successful community independent movements around Australia. We want to understand not only whether people want change, but what kind of change they want and how it can be delivered in a way that reflects local values and priorities.

At the same time, we'll be doing something that excites many people who have joined this movement: designing a robust, transparent and community-driven candidate selection process. Our goal is to develop a model that empowers locals to have a clear and direct say in any endorsement process, while encouraging people from diverse backgrounds and life experiences to step forward.

Getting this right will take time and, at our workshop, we agreed to establish a series of new working groups to drive this and other important pieces of work.

If you'd like to be part of this next phase, we'd love to hear from you. Whether your strengths lie in research, communications, community outreach, strategy, governance or simply having conversations with your neighbours, there is a place for you in this movement.